Collapsible chair



April 9, 1930. W. J. BAUER 1,756,421

COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Filed Oct. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 17 g E E l J I n za" INVENTOR ATT'QRNEY W. J. BAUER COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Filed Oct. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE WILLIAM J.

BAUER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PROJECT HOLDING CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW.YORK

COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Application filed October 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,439.

The invention relates to chairs, more particularly of the folding or collapsible type designed generally to be stored away when not in use. It has for'its object to provide a chair of this character which while comparatively light shall be sufiiciently rigid and of such substantial construction as to support comparatively heavy loads and when not in use may be collapsed to occupy but minimum space. The invention'contemplates a novel arrangement for permitting folding of same into compact form. A further object of the invention resides in a construction of chair whereby the same may be opened for 5 use merely by pressing down upon its upper rotatably mounted in the other nection with the accompanying drawings, in

or back constituting portion, or merely under its own weight; also, whereby the chair automatically folds into closed position merely upon raising the same off its support.

To this end, the invention comprises a chair construction embodying'a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other, and a seat member pivotally and slidably secured to the one pair of legs and pair, together with means whereby the chair may be extended and folded as aforesaid.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in conwhich: v V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel chair assembly in folded condition; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a planof the chair in open condition ready for use.

Fig. dis a detail side elevation of the chalr in open condition, with portions of the leg elements broken away to disclose the interior.

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary verticalsections taken respectively on the lines 55 and 6-6, Fig. 4, and looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Referring to the drawings, the novel chair comprises essentially but three main elements, namely: a rigid, one-piece outer frame member, for example, the U-shape piece 10 which may constitute also the front legs and back portion of the chair, a pair-of rear leg elements 11, pivoted at their upper ends member 15 folding therein.

and a seat member 12. Across the'fron't of the lower extremities of the frame 10 is secured a rung member 13 and, similarly, across the lower portion of the pair of rear leg elements 11 is secured a rung member 14:. The legs of the member 10 are separated sufliciently to admitthe seat 12 therebetween and the same consists of a frame of suitable shape which may retain a cushion or the like 15.

To the upper or rounded portion of the frame 10 may be fixed aback cushion .16 which, however, does not extend entirely to the seat so as to leave sufficient space to admit of the outer portion of said seat with cushion A space 17, moreover, is left between the upper edge of cushion 16 and the top of frame 10 to pro vide a hand hole for convenience in transporting the chair as well. as in lifting the same off the floor when efiecting its automatic folding. I 1

The material constituting the front and rear leg portions of the chair or pieces 10 and 11 may be constructed of square metal tubing, not only to save weight and afford the necessary strength but, especially in the case of the member 10, to provide for housing the opening and closing mechanism hereinafter described.

In the folding or closing operation, the seat member 12 is designed to swing between the sides of the frame 10 about a horizontal axis; and to accommodate this motion, as well as to draw inwardly the rear pair of legs 11,

the back of the said seat is hinged to the rear pair of legs near their upper extremities and is also arranged to have a sliding movement relatively thereto. This may readily be accomplished by means of a rod 20 secured to the under surface of the seat, passing through the sides of its frame 12 and extending into a guide slot 21 in each of apair of plates 22 offset from and secured to the corresponding inner face of each of the rear pairof legs 11. A washer 23 may be secured'over the corresponding ends of the rod 20 to maintain the pivotal connection and to prevent withdrawal of of the rod riding therein in accordance with the movement of the seat. The said rear pair the rod through a slot 21, the end 1 of legs 11 may thus be folded within the outer surrounding frame 10, its motion being stopped or limited in this direction by the rung 13; and the seat frame 12 will at the same time be swung upwardly about a horizontal axis into the space left beneath the cushion 16, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, so

that a very compact unit is obtained which may conveniently be stored when not in use. It will be observed, also, that the width of the entire structure in this condition does not exceed the width of the sides of frame piece 10, a cushion 16 of one unit nesting with that of a subsequent unit; and in actual practice chairs have been constructed in which the said frame is of a width of one inch only.

The aforesaid construction lends itself, furthermore, to most convenient opening and to the automatic closing or folding ofthe chair. To this end, in-each of the sides of the frame 10 is mounted a pair of movable means such as a bar 25, which, at its lower end, is turned over or back upon itself, as indicated, to providea foot or yielding abutment 26 for contact with a floor or other sup port upon which the chair is to rest when in extended or openposition, a foot or abut ment 26 projecting slightly beyond the outer end of the respective front legs when the chair is in the folded condition. The inner end of said'bar is provided with rack teeth 2'? and is also turned over beyond said teeth to provide an abutment for the one end of a coil spring 28 whose other end is held by a pin 29 disposed transversely in the member 10, said spring normally urging the end 26 outwardly. A said rack 27 at each side is designed, moreover, to engage a gear pinion 30 secured to corresponding trunnions 31 passing into and rotatably mounted in the corresponding opposite sides of frame 10 and substantially in the horizontal axis of rotation of the seat 12. These trunnions, furthermore, are carried by said seat as by means of a strap -32 securely fastened to the underside of the seat.

In this manner, the seat will be caused to partake of any movement of the pinions 30;

and it will be evident that saidseat may be rotated by sliding the racks 27 in the proper direction, which movement-may be accomplished by forcing the movable member or bar 25 along the frame 10 in opposition to spring 28 and subsequently releasing the same. To effect the former operation, it is necessary merely to press downwardly upon the top of frame 10 with the yieldingabute m'ent 26 in contact with the floor or other if the chair be of sufficient weight, merely to allow it to rest upon --a support. This will cause member 25 to be pressed inwardly, effecting. corresponding rotation of the pinion 30 and swinging the seat outwardly into open position. Sa1d seat at the same time,

through connection at the back thereof with the rear pair of legs, will extend the latter and thus properly position both front and rear pairs of legs and renderthe chair suitable for use;

Then it is desired to remove the chair and fold it, this may be accomplished merely by lifting it off its support, as by grasping the frame 10 at the hand hole 17, whereupon brought within said'frame l0 5 and the entire chair portions will thus be included substantially within said surrounding frame 10, when folded, and will occupy no more space than requiredfor the frame itself. Bracket 32, moreover, acts as a further stopin this connection for the movement of the rear legs through engagement therewith. i

I claim: i i, I

1. A collapsible chair, comprising pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other and the latter adapted to fit within the for'mer,a seat swing-ably carried by the front pair of legsand pivotally and slidably secured to the rear pair of legs, gear and rack means connecting the seat with the front pair of legs, and means to reciprocate the rack element thereof.

2. Acollapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other and the latter adapted to fit within the former, a seat swingably carried by the front pair of legs and pivotally and slidably secured tothe rear pair of legs, a gear carried by said seat and a rack carried by and movably mounted with respect to the said front legs, and means to reciprocate the rack.

' 3. A collapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other and thelatter adapted to fit within the former, a seat swingably carried by the front pair of legs and pivotally and slidably secured to the rear pairof legs,

a gear carried by said seat and a rack carried by and movably mounted with respect to the said front legs, anda bar, connected 'therewith and spring-urged normally beyond the extremity of its le V 4. A collapsible chair, com-prising a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of rearlegs pivotally secured toeach other and the latter adapted tofit within the former, a seat swingably carried by the front pair of legs and pivotally and slidably secured to the rear pair of legs, a rack slidably mounted within a front leg, a bar connected therewith and V projecting normally'beyond the same, resilient means urging said bar outwardly, and a gear carried by the said seat and in engage ment with the rack.

5. A collapsible chair, comprising a pair of tubular front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other and the latter adapted to fit within the former, a seat pivotally and slidably secured to the rear pair of legs, a strap secured to said seat extending beyond the sides thereof and trunnions extending laterally therefrom into said front legs to swingably mount the seat therein, gears secured to the respective ends of said trunnions, racks slidably mounted in the front legs having engagement with the corresponding pinions, a bar carrying a rack and guided in a corresponding front leg, the outer extremity thereof projecting normally beyond the same, and resilient means urging a said bar outwardly.

6. A collapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other, a seat swingably carried by one pair of legs and pivotally and slidably secured to the other pair of legs, and means associated with a said pair of legs for imparting a rotary movement to the said seat and including members normally springurged beyond the extremity of said latter pair of legs.

7. A collapsible chair, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs pivotally secured to each other, a seat swingably carried by the one pair of legs and pivotally and slidably secured to the other pair of legs, and means movable relatively to one of said pairs of legs for imparting a rotary movement to the said seat and including members projected beyond the lower extremities of said latter pair of legs when the chair is collapsed.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. BAUER. 

